Persona 5 Tactica is a story-driven game that follows the events that happen in Persona 5 Royal. Players who haven’t gotten the chance to experience Royal before Tactica might be in for some spoilers if they haven’t played the original game. As such, this article aims to guide you on whether it’s advisable to play P5 Tactica before delving into P5 Royal, so read on.
Can you play Persona 5 Tactica before Persona 5?
You can play Persona 5 Tactica without being spoiled about what happens in Persona 5. This spinoff can be enjoyed as a standalone experience without any prior knowledge. So you can head into Tactica without being worried about spoilers.
Due to when P5 Tactica takes place, we highly recommend playing through P5 Royal to understand how the Phantom Thieves came to be. Tactica does take place in a different setting that’s far removed from the main plot of Royal, so you can head into it blind if you want to. It isn’t a direct sequel like Persona 5 Strikers was, as it takes place between the events of Persona 5 Royal.
Although important characters who join the Phantom Thieves in the latter half of Royal are present in Persona 5 Tactica, they’re only available as DLC. Goro Akechi and Kasumi Yoshizawa are playable characters who carry some important significance.
It’s clear that Persona 5 Tactica is one meant for fans, with a returning cast of familiar characters. There’s a lot of fanservice thrown in for those who have already played the original. You’re not going to learn how it is that the Phantom Thieves can summon their Personas to fight unless you’ve played Persona 5.
Persona 5 Tactica does feature a self-contained story where the Phantom Thieves are sucked into a new world ruled by a tyrant. This completely separates the main characters from the ongoing plot of the main game, so you don’t need to worry about old characters coming in to make things confusing.
That answers the question of whether or not you should play Persona 5 Tactica before Persona 5. In the meantime, feel free to check out our other Persona 5 Tactica articles here.